Solar power lights up Swedish Embassy

NEW DELHI: In an effort to reduce carbon footprint, the Swedish Embassy has started using solar panels for power generation. The embassy will meet 10% of its total energy demand through solar power.

The embassy building has solar panels spread over an area of 600 sqm that produce about 75 kw of power. This, say officials, will result in annual savings of Rs 7-8 lakh in power bills.

Swedish Ambassador Lars-Olof Lindgren and minister for new and renewable energyFarooq Abdullah inaugurated the system on Thursday . Lindgren said that the project was part of the Swedish government's efforts to reduce its carbon footprint at Swedish properties all across the world by 26% till 2016. "Key measures have been taken to reduce the energy consumption during 2012 and onwards targeting a total energy consumption of approximately 35% through new and renewable sources," said Lindgren.

The Swedish government is using solar energy at three of its embassies worldwide, of which India has its biggest project. The other two solar power projects are at Cairo in Egypt and Canberra in Australia . "The project cost Rs 2.1 crore and we are hoping to expand it eventually. Along with other energy saving systems that we have at our Embassy, we are looking at saving about Rs 20 lakh each year," said a senior official.

The embassy building has an automatic cooling and heating system, solar based outdoor lighting systems, automatic light and power switches based on motion detectors , three-glass layered windows in its new buildings, extra insulation in walls and roofs and water harvesting. At present, 5,000 cubic metre is being harvested annually and the government is targeting 15,000 cubic metre annually in the next few years.

There current water consumption within the embassy area is approximately 10,000 cubic metre annually.